Sir David Brewster (1781-1868) was a Scottish physicist, mathematician, astronomer, inventor, and writer of international reputation. His biography of Sir Isaac Newton, published in 1855 and reissued in 1860, was the result of over twenty years' research, undertaken while publishing hundreds of scientific papers of his own. Brewster made use of previously unknown correspondence by Newton, and his own scientific interests, particularly in optics, meant that he was able to understand and explain Newton's work. It covered the many facets of Newton's personality and work, remaining the best available study of Newton for over a century. Brewster reveals much about the science of his own time in his handling of earlier centuries, and as a cleric was obviously uncomfortable about the evidence of Newton's unorthodox religious views and alchemical studies. Volume 1 covers the period up to about 1700, and includes disputes with Leibniz over the development of calculus.
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ISBN-13
978-0-511-79267-0 (9780511792670)
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Dedication
Preface
1. Great discoveries previous to the birth of Sir Isaac Newton
2. Newton enters Trinity College, Cambridge
3. Newton succeeds Barrow in the Lucasian Chair
4. Newton writes notes on Kinkhuysen's Algebra
5. Mistake of Newton in supposing the length of the spectra to be the same in all bodies
6. Newton on the cause of the moon's libration
7. Newton's hypothesis of refraction and reflexion
8. Influence of colour in the material world
9. Newton's discoveries on the inflexion of light
10. Miscellaneous optical researches of Newton
11. Astronomical discoveries of Newton
12. The first idea of gravity occurs to Newton in 1665
13. The Newtonian philosophy stationary for half a century, owing to the imperfect state of mechanics, optics, and analysis
14. History of the infinitesimal calculus
Appendix.
